Plus, since you so rarely interact with your dragon, it doesn't really feel like its yours (unlike say the Venomhide Raptor that you personally fed and played with and cared for for a solid month).

I hear ya, though my daily quests have mostly been from my little serpent buddy. For me, it feels like an exclusive, delicate process to earn the right to adopt. The Cloud Serpent folks want me to prove I'm worthy of being able to care for my pet/mount and I can appreciate that. Besides, did you know you can play catch with them? Potential spoiler, too, in that there is an achievement tied to it. ;)